Anchor opens a Manhattan studio where people can podcast for free

One of the best things about podcasting is the low barrier of entry. Anyone with a computer, internet connection and a little know-how can launch one. It’s a wonderfully democratized medium. The downside, of course, is that most of them sound terrible. Just really, really awful. Apps are overrun with tinny, Skype recordings.

Anchor, the New York based start up behind the podcast editing app of the same name, is helping change that, one small show at a time. The company is opening up its Manhattan-based studio to a handful of podcasters later this summer through an online form. The startup says it originally developed the studio for in-house shows, but “After recording a few episodes and hearing the results, we realized that this space might be useful for others, too. So we decided to open the space up to members of the local podcasting community, too, and the Anchor Podcast Lab was born.”

Hosts will get access to a small studio with three mics and an iPad. Once finished, recorded files will be uploaded to their Anchor account for editing. Anchor is offering that all up for free, and it seems that users will still own their content. For now, at least, it appears to mostly be a clever little promotional tool for the company’s app.

Anchor says it’s also looking to expand into more cities at some point. Before they do, however, someone can probably make a pretty penny offering up a WeWork-style studio to podcasters looking to step up their game. Strike while the podcasting iron is hot.